Controlling Nutritional Status score is superior to Prognostic Nutritional Index score in predicting survival and complications in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a Chinese propensity score matching study.

Preoperative nutritional status plays an important role in predicting postoperative outcomes. Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) are good tools to assess patients' nutritional status. They have been used in predicting outcomes in various malignancies, but few studies have focused on pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients.

Appraisal of EUS-guided needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy in the diagnosis of pancreatic lesions: A single Chinese center experience.

Background And Objectives: In the recent years, EUS is one of the routine procedures in the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases. EUS-guided needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (nCLE) is a novel minimally invasive imaging technique in diagnosis of pancreatic diseases. The pilot researches provided us some preliminary findings and conclusions with small samples, low rate of pathological correspondence.

Delaying surgery after preoperative biliary drainage does not increase surgical morbidity after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background: The effects of the time interval from preoperative biliary drainage to pancreaticoduodenectomy on morbidity and mortality have not been established, but a recent multicenter study found that an interval greater than 4 weeks resulted in fewer major complications. We investigated whether delaying pancreaticoduodenectomy after preoperative biliary drainage led to improved postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Methods: Patients who underwent elective open pancreaticoduodenectomy between January 2009 and December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.

Enrichment of extracellular vesicles with lipid nanoprobe functionalized nanostructured silica.

Nanoscale extracellular vesicles (nEVs) have recently demonstrated potential value in cancer diagnostics and treatment monitoring, but translation has been limited by technical challenges in nEV isolation. Thus, we have developed a one-step nEV isolation platform that utilizes nEV size-matched silica nanostructures and a surface-conjugated lipid nanoprobe with an integrated microfluidic mixer. The reported platform has 28.

Drain Contamination after Distal Pancreatectomy: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Association with Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula.

Objective: Distal pancreatectomy (DP) remains associated with significant morbidity, but little data is available about the clinical significance of drain contamination. We explored the incidence, risk factors, and association with surgical outcomes of positive drainage culture (PDC) after DP. In addition, the predictive capacity of early PDC for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) was evaluated.

Dysregulated Microbial Fermentation of Soluble Fiber Induces Cholestatic Liver Cancer.

Dietary soluble fibers are fermented by gut bacteria into short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are considered broadly health-promoting. Accordingly, consumption of such fibers ameliorates metabolic syndrome. However, incorporating soluble fiber inulin, but not insoluble fiber, into a compositionally defined diet, induced icteric hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Nucleus of Circulating Tumor Cell Determines Its Translocation Through Biomimetic Microconstrictions and Its Physical Enrichment by Microfiltration.

The mechanism of cells passing through microconstrictions, such as capillaries and endothelial junctions, influences metastasis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in vivo, as well as size-based enrichment of CTCs in vitro. However, very few studies observe such translocation of microconstrictions in real time, and thus the inherent biophysical mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, a multiplexed microfluidic device is fabricated for real-time tracking of cell translocation under physiological pressure and recording deformation of the whole cell and nucleus, respectively.

Self-Assembly of Extracellular Vesicle-like Metal-Organic Framework Nanoparticles for Protection and Intracellular Delivery of Biofunctional Proteins.

The intracellular delivery of biofunctional enzymes or therapeutic proteins through systemic administration is of great importance in therapeutic intervention of various diseases. However, current strategies face substantial challenges owing to various biological barriers, including susceptibility to protein degradation and denaturation, poor cellular uptake, and low transduction efficiency into the cytosol. Here, we developed a biomimetic nanoparticle platform for systemic and intracellular delivery of proteins.

A Spontaneous 3D Bone-On-a-Chip for Bone Metastasis Study of Breast Cancer Cells.

Bone metastasis occurs at ≈70% frequency in metastatic breast cancer. The mechanisms used by tumors to hijack the skeleton, promote bone metastases, and confer therapeutic resistance are poorly understood. This has led to the development of various bone models to investigate the interactions between cancer cells and host bone marrow cells and related physiological changes.

Central pancreatectomy with external drainage of monolayer pancreaticojejunostomy for prevention of postoperative pancreatic fistula: A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains a common problem and leading cause of morbidity and mortality after central pancreatectomy (CP). The aim of this study was to present a technique of external drainage of monolayer pancreaticojejunostomy for prevention of POPF.

Methods: Patients received elective CP with external drainage of monolayer pancreaticojejunostomy between January 2010 and December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.

Preoccupation of Empty Carriers Decreases Endo-/Lysosome Escape and Reduces the Protein Delivery Efficiency of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles.

Endo-/lysosome escape is a major challenge in nanoparticle-based protein delivery for cancer therapy. To enhance the endo-/lysosomal escape and increase the efficacy of protein delivery, current strategies mainly focus on destroying endo-/lysosomes by employing modified nanoparticles, such as pH-sensitive polyplexes, cell-penetrating peptides, and photosensitive molecules. Herein, we hypothesize that pretreatment with empty nanocarriers might make endo-/lysosomes occupied and affect the endo/lysosomal escape of protein subsequently delivery by nanocarriers.

Genome-Wide Analysis Identified a Number of Dysregulated Long Noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in Human Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Long noncoding RNAs have been shown to play crucial roles in cancer biology, while the long noncoding RNA landscapes of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma have not been completely characterized. We aimed to determine whether long noncoding RNA could serve as early diagnostic biomarkers for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Method: We conducted a genome-wide microarray analysis on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and their adjacent noncancerous tissues from 8 Chinese patients.

Size-based separation methods of circulating tumor cells.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) originate from the primary tumor mass and enter into the peripheral bloodstream. Compared to other "liquid biopsy" portfolios such as exosome, circulating tumor DNA/RNA (ctDNA/RNA), CTCs have incomparable advantages in analyses of transcriptomics, proteomics, and signal colocalization. Hence, CTCs hold the key to understanding the biology of metastasis and play a vital role in cancer diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and prognosis.

In Situ Caging of Biomolecules in Graphene Hybrids for Light Modulated Bioactivity.

Remote and noninvasive modulation of protein activity is essential for applications in biotechnology and medicine. Optical control has emerged as the most attractive approach owing to its high spatial and temporal resolutions; however, it is challenging to engineer light responsive proteins. In this work, a near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive graphene-silica-trypsin (GST) nanoreactor is developed for modulating the bioactivity of trypsin molecules.

Novel and supplementary management of pancreatic fluid collections: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage.

Aim: To compare efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided and surgical drainage in pancreatic fluid collection management.

Methods: Data were obtained retrospectively from January 2012 to December 2016. Patients with pancreatic fluid collection were performed EUS-guided or surgical procedure.

Rapid magnetic isolation of extracellular vesicles via lipid-based nanoprobes.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can mediate intercellular communication by transferring cargo proteins and nucleic acids between cells. The pathophysiological roles and clinical value of EVs are under intense investigation, yet most studies are limited by technical challenges in the isolation of nanoscale EVs (nEVs). Here, we report a lipid nanoprobe that enables spontaneous labelling and magnetic enrichment of nEVs in 15 minutes, with isolation efficiency and cargo composition similar to what can be achieved by the much slower and bulkier method of ultracentrifugation.

Separable Bilayer Microfiltration Device for Label-Free Enrichment of Viable Circulating Tumor Cells.

Analysis of rare circulating tumor cells enriched from metastatic cancer patients yields critical information on disease progression, therapy response, and the mechanism of cancer metastasis. Here we describe in detail a label-free enrichment process of circulating tumor cells based on its unique physical properties (size and deformability). Viable circulating tumor cells can be successfully enriched and analyzed, or easily released for further characterization due to the novel separable two-layer design.

Mitochondria-Targeting Polydopamine Nanoparticles To Deliver Doxorubicin for Overcoming Drug Resistance.

Mitochondria play a critical role in diverse cellular processes, such as energy production and apoptosis regulation. The mitochondria-targeted drug delivery is becoming a potential novel strategy for overcoming drug resistance in cancer therapy. Herein, we synthesize nature-inspired dopamine-derived polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles.

Endoscopic metal enteral stent placement for malignant afferent loop syndrome after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Introduction: Afferent loop syndrome (ALS) is a rare and dreaded complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Malignant ALS after PD is usually difficult to manage due to patients' poor condition. Effective and safe therapeutic strategies for these patients are reported scarcely at present.

Accuracy of routine multidetector computed tomography to identify arterial variants in patients scheduled for pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Aim: To assess the efficacy of cross-sectional multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) imaging without arterial reconstruction to identify aberrant right hepatic artery (RHA) and celiac artery stenosis (CAS) in patients scheduled for pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Methods: Patients with peri-ampullary and pancreatic head tumors who underwent routine preoperative MDCT and subsequent computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA), conventional angiography or pancreaticoduodenectomy between September 2007 and August 2013 were identified. Retrospective analysis of imaging data was undertaken using CTA, conventional angiographic and surgical findings as the reference standards.

Splenic vessel preservation versus Warshaw's technique during spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

Background: Splenic preservation can be achieved through splenic vessel resection by Warshaw's technique (WT) or by preserving the splenic vessels. This meta-analysis aims to provide evidence-based comparison regarding the perioperative outcome and long-term benefits between patients with and without splenic vessel preservation (SVP) during spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy.

Method: A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate studies comparing splenic vessel preservation versus resection groups.

A Combinatory Strategy for Detection of Live CTCs Using Microfiltration and a New Telomerase-Selective Adenovirus.

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) have become an important biomarker for early cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring. Recently, a replication-competent recombinant adenovirus driven by a human telomerase gene (hTERT) promoter was shown to detect live CTCs in blood samples of patients with cancer. Here, we report a new class of adenoviruses containing regulatory elements that repress the hTERT gene in normal cells.